1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to devices and techniques for manually or semimanually emplacing circuit components on a planar printed circuit board and more specifically relates to a method and mechanism for programmed loading of a printed circuit board with dual-in-line-type integrated circuit packages.
One of the principal labor-intensive procedures in the manufacture of circuit systems, especially complex digital circuit systems, is the placement of integrated circuit devices or packages as defined locations on a perforate substrate having a defined wiring pattern imprinted thereon. The substrate is known loosely in the art as a circuit board. (Herein, a circuit board shall refer to the substrate exclusive of circuits mounted thereon.) The volume and nature of the circuit board assembly process in most manufacturing operation seldom justifies the expense and complication of totally automated circuit board loading devices. However, there is need for organizing and modifying the nature and extent of manual movement in the assembly or loading of circuit boards with circuit devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fully automated machines are known for loading integrated circuit devices onto a circuit board. However, most circuit board loading is performed manually, with buckets or trays of integrated circuits disposed at a loading station. Manual loading of this sort requires some knowledge of the types of circuits involved, a blueprint illustrating the placement of the circuits on the board, and extensive manual handling of the circuit devices.
At least one manufacturer, Micro Electronic Systems, Inc. of Danbury, Connecticut, produces a dispenser for integrated circuit packages of the dual-in-line package (DIP) type. The IC dispenser includes multiple channels in vertically stacked tires which are intended to eliminate double handling of the DIP IC devices. However, the IC dispenser of the prior art requires prior knowledge of component placement and it has a tendency toward spillage. In particular, there is no provision for dispensing singular DIP ICs.
There is a need for an apparatus and a technique for speeding the manual loading of integrated circuit devices of the dual-in-line-type onto circuit boards which is inexpensive and reliable.